1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a heat dissipating device, more particularly to a heat dissipating device for dissipating heat generated by a disk drive module inside a computer housing.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional disk drive module 1 for a computer device. The conventional disk drive module 1 includes a mounting frame 13, a drawer body 12, a disk drive 17 and a fan unit 14. The mounting frame 13 is mounted in a computer housing 11 of the computer device, has front and rear open ends 151, 151xe2x80x2, and is formed with a slot 15. The drawer body 12 is mounted removably in the slot 15 and has a front open end 161, top and bottom walls 121, 123, and opposite lateral walls 122 connected to and cooperating with the top and bottom walls 121, 123 so as to confine a receiving space 16 that is accessible through the front open end 161. The disk drive 17 is mounted removably in the receiving space 16 through the front open end 161, and is mounted on the bottom wall 123 of the drawer body 12. The disk drive 17 has a bottom surface 171 that contacts the bottom wall 123 of the drawer body 12, and a top surface 172 that is spaced apart from the top wall 121 of the drawer body 12. The fan unit 14 is mounted removably on the front open end 161 of the drawer body 12 for generating air currents so as to carry away heat generated during operation of the disk drive 17.
FIG. 2 illustrates a conventional array disk drive module 2 for a computer device, which is a modification of the abovementioned conventional disk drive module 1. Unlike the abovementioned conventional disk drive module 1, the conventional array disk drive module 2 includes a plurality of drawer bodies 12xe2x80x2 that are mounted removably in the slot 15xe2x80x2 of the mounting frame 13xe2x80x2 and that are arranged in an array. Each of the drawer bodies 12xe2x80x2 has a front open end, a bottom wall 123xe2x80x2, and opposite lateral walls 122xe2x80x2 connected to and cooperating with the bottom wall 123xe2x80x2 so as to confine a receiving space 16xe2x80x2. A plurality of disk drives 17 are mounted respectively in the receiving spaces 16xe2x80x2 of the drawer bodies 12xe2x80x2.
It is noted that, when heat is generated by the disk drives 17 in the conventional disk drive module 2, the fan unit (not shown) is unable to dissipate heat effectively.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a heat dissipating device for dissipating heat generated by a disk drive module inside a computer housing with a relatively high heat-dissipating efficiency.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a heat dissipating device is adapted for dissipating heat generated by a disk drive module inside a computer housing. The disk drive module includes
a mounting frame mounted in the computer housing and formed with a slot,
a drawer body mounted removably in the slot and having front and rear open ends, top and bottom walls, and opposite lateral walls connected to and cooperating with the top and bottom walls so as to confine a receiving space that is accessible through one of the front and rear open ends, and
a disk drive mounted removably in the receiving space through said one of the front and rear open ends and mounted on the bottom wall of the drawer body.
The heat dissipating device is adapted to be disposed in the receiving space and comprises:
abase plate adapted to be mounted between the lateral walls of the drawer body, the base plate having a contacting surface adapted to contact and to be in thermal communication with the disk drive, and a connecting surface opposite to the contacting surface; and
a unitary heat-dissipating fin strip unit mounted fixedly on and in thermal communication with the connecting surface of the base plate, the fin strip unit including
a row of straight strip portions arranged along a first direction, each adjacent pair of the straight strip portions being spaced apart from each other so as to define a heat-dissipating space therebetween, and
a plurality of bridging units disposed respectively within the heat-dissipating spaces, each of the bridging units including a plurality of U-shaped strip portions, each of which has two ends that are connected respectively to corresponding ones of the straight strip portions, the U-shaped strip portions of each of the bridging units being disposed on one side of the corresponding ones of the straight strip portions and being arranged in a row along a second direction, which is transverse to the first direction.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a disk drive apparatus for a computer device comprises:
a mounting frame adapted to be mounted in a computer housing of the computer device and formed with a slot;
a drawer body mounted removably in the slot and having front and rear open ends, top and bottom walls, and opposite lateral walls connected to and cooperating with the top and bottom walls so as to confine a receiving space that is accessible through one of the front and rear open ends;
a disk drive mounted removably in the receiving space through said one of the front and rear open ends and mounted on the bottom wall of the drawer body; and
a heat dissipating device disposed in the receiving space and including
a base plate mounted between the lateral walls of the drawer body, the base plate having a contacting surface contacting and in thermal communication with the disk drive, and a connecting surface opposite to the contacting surface, and
a unitary heat-dissipating fin strip unit mounted fixedly on and in thermal communication with the connecting surface of the base plate, the fin strip unit including
a row of straight strip portions arranged along a first direction, each adjacent pair of the straight strip portions being spaced apart from each other so as to define a heat-dissipating space therebetween, and
a plurality of bridging units disposed respectively within the heat-dissipating spaces, each of the bridging units including a plurality of U-shaped strip portions, each of which has two ends that are connected respectively to corresponding ones of the straight strip portions, the U-shaped strip portions of each of the bridging units being disposed on one side of the corresponding ones of the straight strip portions and being arranged in a row along a second direction, which is transverse to the first direction.